Sweet Potato and Black Bean Veggie Burgers

June 10, 2013

I’m an any-time of the year sweet potato gal. They may not be in season but I still flock to them every time I walk down the produce aisle. Probably ranking them as my #1 choice vegetable. No, not probably. Definitely.

Usually I just wedge them up and throw them in the oven to roast. Eat ‘em with some ketchup. Call it a day. Although I have to admit, ever since I have been in Germany I have been unable to come up with crisp-roasted sweet potatoes. My European oven only makes soggy, mushy roasted sweet potatoes. Bummer.

I saw this recipe here and almost licked my computer screen. They looked so good. The colors are so vibrant and fresh- how could you not want that in your belly? Well, unless your like my David who doesn’t even recognize the term “veggie burger”…

I love me a good veggie burger though. You probably don’t remember back to last year, but I shared a recipe for veggie burgers then too. That recipe was much more complicated, ingredient list wise. Not nearly as accessible as this golden patty : )

These have a sweet-spicy kind of thing going on too. The chipotle powder and cayenne gives your mouth a good few kicks. More than mine could really handle to be honest haha.

Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes, testing doneness with fork. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and let them cool until you are able to handle them- remove the skins. Set aside to cool completely.

Cook the Quinoa: Rinse quinoa. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to boil. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tender and all the water has absorbed, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Grind the oats in a food processor until fine, about 1 minute. Place in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Add seasonings- cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder/smoked hot paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Mix to combine.

In the bowl of a food processor, place the red onion, cilantro, and garlic clove; pulse 10-12 times or until everything is finely minced. Add to oat-spice mixture.

Make the Burgers: Combine the cooled sweet potatoes and quinoa with oat-spice mixture. With the paddle attachment of your mixer, stir on low to combine (you can also use a wooden spoon and do this by hand if you prefer). Add the black beans and stir to evenly distribute.

I’m no vegetarian, not by any stretch of the imagination. But sometimes I crave a burger, but don’t really want to eat too much red meat, you know? I think I might have to try these out. They look delicious!